Gas Natural Inc. (NYSE MKT: EGAS) of Mentor, which is being pursued by a Canadian company, has brought back a former executive to serve as chief operating officer and chief compliance officer.

Kevin J. Degenstein will join Gas Natural effective Aug. 1. He will have operational and regulatory oversight of the company’s operating subsidiaries, including Energy West, Frontier Natural Gas, Bangor Natural Gas and Orwell Natural Gas, among others, according to a news release issued Sunday, July 27. Gas Natural is a holding company operating local natural gas utility companies serving about 73,000 customers in seven states.

Degenstein, 55, has served in the natural gas utility industry in executive management, operations, engineering and regulatory capacities for more than 30 years. Most recently, he was president and COO of Gas Natural from June 2008 until November 2013. He joined Gas Natural in 2006 as senior vice president of operations.

Gregory J. Osborne, president and CEO of Gas Natural, said in a statement that he was “thrilled to have Kevin back as an integral member of our executive management team. … He will be the face with our regulatory commissions. His knowledge of the utility sector, experience working with regulatory bodies for many years, and his stellar reputation and ongoing accountability in this industry make him the perfect candidate for these positions.”

Last November, the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio ordered an investigative audit of two subsidiaries of Gas Natural and all related companies, citing concerns about the companies’ internal controls, the propriety of their executive compensation system and alleged self-dealing by management. Crain’s reported in April that the company in recent months “has made changes to its procedures and internal controls, retained a firm to consult it on regulatory matters, made four hires to improve its reporting and underwent PUCO training.”

Gas Natural said last week that it has rejected three “unsolicited and inadequate offers” to acquire the company made this year by Oakville, Ontario-based Algonquin Power & Utilities. The offers were made on Jan. 14, March 5 and May 7, eventually reaching $13 per share.

Algonquin continues to push for Gas Natural to consider a deal, though. An Algonquin spokesman said in an email that the company plans to send representatives to Gas Natural’s annual meeting of shareholders, which is scheduled for Wednesday, July 30.